The subject matter of the present disclosure broadly relates to the art of gas spring devices and, more particularly, to end member assemblies having rotatable components for use in forming gas spring assemblies with end members that can be repositioned relative to one another. Additionally, suspension systems can include one or more of such gas spring assemblies.
The subject matter of the present disclosure may find particular application and use in conjunction with components for wheeled vehicles, and will be shown and described herein with reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the subject matter of the present disclosure is also amenable to use in other applications and environments, and that the specific uses shown and described herein are merely exemplary. For example, the subject matter of the present disclosure could be used in connection with gas spring assemblies of non-wheeled vehicles, support structures, height adjusting systems and actuators associated with industrial machinery, components thereof and/or other such equipment. Accordingly, the subject matter of the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to use associated with gas spring suspension systems of wheeled vehicles.
Wheeled motor vehicles of most types and kinds include a sprung mass, such as a body or chassis, for example, and an unsprung mass, such as two or more axles or other wheel-engaging members, for example, with a suspension system disposed therebetween. Typically, a suspension system will include a plurality of spring devices as well as a plurality of damping devices that together permit the sprung and unsprung masses of the vehicle to move in a somewhat controlled manner relative to one another. Movement of the sprung and unsprung masses toward one another is normally referred to in the art as jounce motion while movement of the sprung and unsprung masses away from one another is commonly referred to in the art as rebound motion.
It is common for the suspension system of vehicles to be adapted and/or otherwise arranged such that there are few operating conditions, during normal usage, under which the plurality of spring devices would be tensioned or otherwise undergo a tension load. Nonetheless, conventional gas spring assemblies are often secured on or along associated structural components using threaded fasteners and other similar securement devices that pass through patterns of holes or openings in the associated structural component to secure the end members of a gas spring assembly thereon. In this manner, the end members of the gas spring assembly can be fixedly secured to the associated structural component.
Gas spring assemblies are known to be constructed in a variety of configurations and arrangements, such as those having convoluted bellows and those having rolling-lobe sleeves. Typically, a gas spring assembly will also include opposing end members that are fixedly secured to a flexible wall (e.g., a convoluted bellows or an elongated flexible sleeve) such that a substantially fluid-tight spring chamber is formed within the gas spring assembly. In such cases, the end members are normally rotationally fixed relative to one another. Therefore, the desired positioning or alignment of any features or components on the opposing end members is normally be established by the manufacturer during assembly.
In some cases, a given size, type and/or construction of gas spring assembly may be used in applications that have different mounting conditions. In such cases, multiple variations of the gas spring assembly are designed, manufactured and sometimes inventoried to meet the demand for these different variations of the gas spring assembly. In many cases, however, such variations may have substantially identical components that are simply positioned in different orientations relative to one another. This can lead to inefficiencies as well as increased costs and/or inventory levels where a variety of mounting configurations of a given model of gas spring assembly are requested and/or used.
As such, it is believed desirable to develop gas spring assemblies having end members that are capable of being rotationally realigned to address the foregoing and/or other disadvantages of known constructions or to otherwise advance the art of gas spring devices.